Food Bank of South Jersey breaks ground for 20,000-square-foot addition

Food Bank of South Jersey CEO Val Traore, Board Chairman Robert Brown and other members of the Food Bank community break ground for the distribution center expansion

PENNSAUKEN TWP. — Food Bank of South Jersey CEO Val Traore said an expanded facility will mean more safe and efficient food distribution to an ever-growing population in need.

"We are putting ourselves in a position of responsibility as growing numbers of people are looking to us for food assistance," said Traore at Monday's groundbreaking for a 20,000-square-foot addition to the 45,000-square-foot distribution center on John Tipton Boulevard. "This current facility prohibits us from taking in all the food we possibly can. There are issues with safety, efficiency and operation here that will be addressed through the expansion."

Traore said the project is expected to take approximately five months. The expansion will cost $3 million, and the Food Bank of South Jersey has officially begun a capital campaign to raise the funds.

"We've reached out to our stakeholders for financial support, and so far the response has been favorable," said Traore. "Because there is a critical need, however, and we wanted to start right away, we'll go into debt temporarily to get the building constructed and then pay it off."

Most of the expansion will include new dry storage, freezer and cooler space. The current distribution center can hold up to one million pounds of food at one time. When the expansion is complete, the center will hold up to 2.5 million pounds.

"The need is not going away," said Food Bank Board of Trustees President Robert Brown. "We've outgrown a building we thought would last us a lifetime."

The Food Bank of South Jersey moved to the Pennsauken facility in 2000 from a small space in Camden. At the time, no one anticipated a need for more space for at least 20 years.

"This is an investment in the future," said Brown. "It's not just about bricks and mortar, it's about people and our relationships with them. When the board found out we were having to turn away food, we decided we couldn't have that."

Brown said safety was another major concern of the board. With people coming in the same doors as tractor trailers and forklifts, he said it was a "calamity waiting to happen."

"The expanded facility will have a new flow," said Brown. "The back side will be for drop-offs and the front will have a space for clients to come in away from traffic."

He said the Food Bank also wanted to provide a better experience for volunteers so the expansion and renovations include a new locker room, better restrooms and additional parking for those who dedicate their time to the organization.

He said, with the expansion, the Food Bank of South Jersey is also expanding its mission — adding a demonstration kitchen to show agencies recipes for collected food and to offer tips for stretching food supplies.

Camden County Freeholder Scot McCray said it was phenomenal to see the Food Bank's growth.

"I wish you much success with the physical expansion as well as your mission and vision in what you do to help families in South Jersey," said McCray.

And Pennsauken Deputy Mayor Rick Taylor said while the township — with its many churches — is sometimes known as the place that "saves a lot of souls," the Food Bank is "saving a lot of lives."